Energy

Renewable and Alternative Energy

When were photovoltaic cells developed?

A group of researchers at Bell Labs, Calvin Fuller (1902–1994), Daryl Chapin (1906–1995), and Gerald Pearson (1905–1987), developed the first practical silicon solar cell in 1954. The earliest PV cells were used to power U.S. space satellites. The use of PV cells was then expanded to power small items such as calculators and watches.